Father Libert Froidmont's Commentary on Colossians
Argument and Commentary on Colossians 2:1-5
ARGUMENT
He warns them not to allow themselves to be deceived by their pseudo-apostles through the sublimity of discourse and empty philosophy; these false teachers were inculcating upon them the observance of legal ceremonies and the worship of angels, to the contempt of Christ the Mediator. Therefore, [Paul teaches] that Christ is the sole Mediator, who has triumphed over the principalities and angelic powers; and that all other things which they taught were vain.
Verse 1
"FOR I WILL [VOLO ENIM]" — "Since I have already said that I am contending for you..."
"THAT YOU MAY KNOW [VOS SCIRE]" — "Lest you think that you are neglected by me because you have not been converted to the Faith through my ministry."
"WHAT GREAT SOLICITUDE I HAVE [QUALEM SOLICITUDINEM HABEAM]" — In Greek: ἀγῶνα [agōna], that is, "a glorious contest," by which the Apostle, even while encouraging them through his letters against the adversaries of the Faith, and praying for them, was assisting them with every care and solicitude. Hence the translator [the Vulgate] has not inappropriately rendered that "contest" as "solicitude."
"FOR YOU [PRO VOBIS]" — "Even for those who are absent and whom I have never seen."
"AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE AT LAODICEA [ET PRO IIS QUI SUNT LAODICIAE]" — In the city of the same region of Greater Phrygia, neighboring Colossae, which six years after this letter was written collapsed in an earthquake together with Colossae—as we said in the argument to this epistle—but was restored a little afterward. Hence Laodicea again had a bishop and a church at the time of the writing of the Apocalypse of John, chapter 3, verse 14, that is, about thirty years after it had collapsed in the earthquake.
"AND WHOSOEVER HAVE NOT SEEN MY FACE IN THE FLESH [ET QUICUMQUE NON VIDERUNT FACIEM MEAM IN CARNE]" — That is, all the Christians in Asia, Africa, and Europe converted by other Apostles, whose regions Paul avoided lest he build upon another's foundation (Romans 15:20), though nevertheless he did not cease to care for them. For just as Aaron, in his priestly robe or talar garment, bore the whole world (Wisdom 18:24), so Paul, says St. Thomas, carried the churches of the whole world in his heart.
"IN THE FLESH [IN CARNE]" — That is, my bodily or corporeal presence.
Verse 2
"THAT THEIR HEARTS MAY BE COMFORTED [UT CONSOLENTUR CORDA IPSORUM]" — That they may take comfort; their hearts, often sad and dejected because of the persecutions of the unbelievers among whom they live.
"INSTRUCTED IN CHARITY [INSTRUCTI IN CHARITATE]" — While they have been composed and compacted into one, as it were a single body, through Charity; toward which end I strive and labor.
"AND UNTO ALL RICHES [ET IN OMNES DIVITIAS]" — And instructed unto the greatest abundance.
"OF THE FULLNESS OF UNDERSTANDING [PLENITUDINIS INTELLECTUS]" — Of full understanding of divine things, which especially comforts the faithful.
"UNTO THE RECOGNITION [IN AGNITIONEM]" — And unto the knowledge through full Faith and the perfect knowledge of the saints.
"OF THE MYSTERY OF GOD THE FATHER [MYSTERII DEI PATRIS]" — In Greek: τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός [tou Theou kai Patros], that is, "of God and Father," meaning the mystery of the one and triune God in Persons. For if there is a Father, therefore also a Son; and because the Father and the Son love each other, from that mutual love the Holy Spirit must proceed.
"AND OF CHRIST JESUS [ET CHRISTI JESU]" — The mystery of the God-man, that is, of the Incarnation. Now the Trinity and the Incarnation are the two principal mysteries, most necessary by necessity of means, of the Christian Faith; by the full knowledge of which, the Apostle says, they ought to be comforted.
Verse 3
"IN WHOM [IN QUO]" — That is, in Christ, because He is God and equal to the Father.
"ARE ALL [SUNT OMNES]" — "Whence nothing escapes Him," says Chrysostom.
"TREASURES [THESAURI]" — A precious abundance.
"OF WISDOM [SAPIENTIAE]" — Of the knowledge of divine things.
"AND OF KNOWLEDGE [ET SCIENTIAE]" — Of the knowledge of created things.
"HIDDEN [ABSCONDITI]" — Whence they are beyond the investigation of every created intellect, because no one can penetrate the height of wisdom and knowledge, according to that passage: "O the depth of the riches..." etc. (Romans 11:33).
From these treasures of uncreated and infinite wisdom and knowledge in Christ flows another treasure into His soul: of created wisdom and knowledge—finite indeed, but immense. For Christ's soul knows innumerably more things than all the Saints, and by one simple, blessed intuition of the divine essence, sees present, past, and future things—that is, whatever God knows by the knowledge of vision, as St. Thomas teaches (Summa Theologiae, III, q. 10, a. 2).
Primasius, however, and certain others interpret IN QUO ["in whom"] not as referring to Christ as the subject in whom the treasures dwell, but as the object: "in whom, as in their object, are all the treasures..." For whatever is of fruitful wisdom and knowledge for eternal life concerns Christ the God-man, who suffered and rose again.
Verse 4
"NOW THIS I SAY [HOC AUTEM DICO]" — What I have just said, namely, that in Christ are all the treasures, etc., I have said for this purpose:
"THAT NO ONE [UT NEMO]" — No Simonian or other philosopher...
"MAY DECEIVE YOU [VOS DECIPIAT]" — By arguing, may he lead you astray, as the Greek word signifies.
"IN SUBLIMITY OF SPEECH [IN SUBLIMITATE SERMONUM]" — In Greek: ἐν πιθανολογίᾳ [en pithanologia], that is, "in the persuasiveness of speech," which has a broader scope than sublimity and elegance. For not only by sublime but even by humble speech—if it be subtle—sophists persuade others of falsehoods. But because from the beginning of the Church heretics have especially attempted to deceive the simple by sublime and specious eloquence, therefore the translator has put this particular species for the general class. This is not because the word "SUBLIMITATE" has been transferred here by a scribal error from 1 Corinthians 2:1, as some conjecture.
St. Thomas asks here whether it is lawful for Catholics to use sublime and ornate speech in divine matters. He responds that it is lawful, provided that good be persuaded; whence Ambrose, Jerome, Leo, etc., speak more elegantly than the rhetoricians of the world. Nevertheless, in matters so serious, affectation must be avoided—a fault which Tertullian and most Africans scarcely escape, with the exception of Augustine and certain others.
Verse 5
"FOR EVEN THOUGH I AM ABSENT IN THE BODY [NAM ETSI CORPORE ABSENS SUM]" — "Do not therefore think that I am unaware of what is being carried on among you and the pseudo-apostles."
"BUT IN SPIRIT [SED SPIRITU]" — Nevertheless, in mind and spiritual affection...
"I AM WITH YOU [VOBISCUM SUM]" — By divine revelation; in the manner in which Elisha (2 Kings 5:26) was present in spirit when Gehazi accepted silver from Naaman—as St. Thomas and Primasius interpret. Or, as others explain: SPIRITU, that is, by thought and solicitude aroused from what he had learned from Epaphras and others who perhaps came from there.
"Let mercenary pastors hear this," says Catharinus, "who are present to their sheep not in body but in solicitude, in order to empty their purses, not to cleanse their consciences."
"REJOICING AND SEEING [GAUDENS ET VIDENS]" — That is, "because I see with spiritual eyes." For the particle ET ["and"] is taken not copulatively but causally, meaning "because," as St. Thomas rightly observes—just as among the Hebrews the letter vav [ו] is used, as in Psalm 60:11 [Vulgate; Psalm 59:11 in English]: "Give us help... for/and vain is the salvation of man," etc.
"YOUR ORDER [ORDINEM VESTRUM]" — By which in the Church, just as in a well-ordered battle line of soldiers, all are in their proper order and office: presbyters subject to the bishop, deacons to the presbyters, the people humbly and obediently subject to the whole clergy.
"AND THE FIRMNESS THEREOF [ET FIRMAMENTUM EJUS]" — And seeing the firmness of the Faith which arises from this order which you maintain. For just as an enemy with difficulty corrupts a well-ordered battle line or confuses its ranks, so in the Church, where all things are done in their proper order, pseudo-apostles do not easily break in. For nothing opens the way to heresies in the Church more than schisms—especially if the people do not agree well with the clergy; just as in an army, nothing is more destructive than if the soldiers despise the command of their leader.
CONTINUE
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